Collapsible inflatable vessel



Sept. 8, 1925. 1,552,751

F. J. MARRIOTT COLLAP SIBLE I NFLATABLE VESSEL Filed April 24 1925 1 3?Fig.1.

FRED J.MARR!OTT 4 7 Saw;

Fig.4. 11.5. I Y

Patented Sept. 8, 1925.

FRED a. MARRIOTT, or HILLIAR TOWNSHIP, KNOX COUNTY, OHIO.

COLLAPSIBLE INFLATABLE VESSEL.

Application filed April a, 1925.

To all whom z't may concern: Be it known that I, FR J. MARRIOTT, &citizen of the United States, residing in Hilliar Township, in thecounty of Knox and State of Ohio, have invented a. certain new anduseful Improvement in Collapsible Inflatable Vessels, of which thefollowing is 'a specification. 7 The particular object of this inventionis to provide an improved portable, inflatable and collapsible vesselbuoyant in water and preferably in flated condition to be folded up intoa comparatively small package and carried'to the and in its inflatedconditionwaters edge; adapted to sustain the body of the user in such away that the arms shall be free while the legs are immersed so thateither the legs may be used as in swimming orn paddle manipulated topropel the vessel. I 1

The skin of such a vessel should be thin and of light weight such asballoon fabric but it can be made of thin sheet rubber and because sucha vessel will be subject to rough usage especially in a heavy surf ittantthat the part of the structure which immediately sustainsthe personshall be attached to the vessel in such a way as tribute the strainsimposed. It is also important that the person-receiving and sustainingportion shall be of such a construction as to permit ready escapetherefrom in'the event the buoyant element should be punctured and thevessel collapse while in the water.

The invention is embodied in the example shown in the accompanyingdrawing and hereinafter particularly set forth, the features of noveltybeing finally claimed.

In said drawing- Figure 1 is a top plan of the vessel.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a section mainly on the line III-J11 Fig. 2.

Figs. 4 and 5 are elevations in two positions of the uprights used informing the cockpit frame.

In manufacturing the hull or buoyant part of the device the deck 5,bottom 6, sides 7, stern 8 and cockpit Wall 9 can each be cut with theaid of a suitable pattern out of balloon fabric and all secured togetherto form a structure such as shown, care being taken to apply along theseams a suitable paint or varnish insoluble in and excluding boat formadapted in its de- ,p

- at 10 and 10* in Fig; 3.

is importo dis- Serial No. 25,662.

water. The same method can be followed in forming the boat of sheetrubber or rubberized fabric impervious to water except that seams neednot be gins joined by the usual method practiced with such material. Theboat may also be in the-whole or part made as a molded job.' In eithercase it may be desirable to strengthen or reinforce the wall of thecockpit and the deck and bottom where the strains imposed by the weightof the occuant are applied and somewhat as indicated The cockpit is madeas a through opening preferably slightly ellipsoid in plan view andextending as respects its ma or diameter fore and aft the vessel. Thestructure for receiving and sustaining the user includes two rings 11and 12 preferably of wood or of aluminum tubing of a form to fit asclosely as convenient within the cockpit near its upper and lower endsand two or more uprights 18, 13 of wood or aluminum connecting therings. According to my invention each of said uprights 13 is permanentlyhinged to the lower ring 12 by means of a transverse collar 14 on asocket piece 15 into which the lower end of the upright is secured. Inmanufacture the hinging member 14-45 is put on the bar of the ringbefore the bar is closed to form the ring. The upperend of the uprightis provided with a stirrup 16-having an extended and slotted lip 16,said stirrup receiving the ring 11 which is secured therein by a shortstrap 17 sewed but the marpassed through the slot of the lip 16 andbuckle 18 secured on the deck of the vessel. Three or four of theseuprights can be provided to maintain the parallelism of the rings 11 and12 or two of them with looped straps 17 secured to the deck to maintainsuch parallelism. The lower ring 12 is connected with the bottom of theboat by looped straps 19 engaged with buckles 20. The frame thusdescribed, while light in weight, affords an effectual resistance toentrapping collapse about the body of the occupant upon puncture of theboat especially if the skin of the boat or parts thereof be formed ofelastic material;

Hung upon the lower ring 12 by means of four straps 21 looped around thering is a saddle 22 the straps being provided with buckles 23 in whichthe straps are adjustable in the usual manner so that the saddlefastened to a can be located at different depths according to the sizeof the user or the extent of immersion desired by him.

An ordinary pneumatic tire inflating and deflating nipple 5 can beplaced anywhere on the deck, as for example at the stern; and the boatcan be inflated through said nipple with an ordinary tire pump; and itcan be deflated by depressing the valve of said nipple.

Preparatory to use, the body of the vessel is best first inflated orpartially inflated to distend the cockpit and thereby facilitate theapplication thereto of the bracing frame and saddle.

In practice the user will sit on the saddle facing the bow with his legsextended through the open spaces at 24c, 24. In this position his armswill be free to wield a paddle or he can make strokes with his legsafter the manner employed in swimming.

It will be observed that the considerable strain imposed by the occupantof the cock pit frame especially when used in a rough surf is borne bythe extended connections of that frame with the deck and bottom.

When to be collapsed for transportation or storage. the straps holdingthe cockpit frame are released and the uprights 13 folded to liesubstantially in the plane of the ring 12, the boat body deflated andfolded and all the parts placed together compactly in a. suitable coveror bag.

The forms of the parts can be changed without. departing from the gistof the invention as claimed. What I claim is:

1. A collapsible inflatable vessel provided with a through cockpit and acollapsible frame within the cockpit attached to the vessel, saidcollapsible frame including a removable ring for the upper and lowerends of the cockpit and connecting uprights.

2. A collapsible vessel provided with a through cockpit and a bracingmember for the cockpit consisting of rigid rings attached to the vesselnear the upper and lower ends of the wall of the cockpit.

3. A collapsible inflatable vessel provided with a through cockpit andbracing members for the cockpit consisting of rigid rings attached tothe vessel near the upper and lower ends of the wall of the cockpit andrigid upright members connecting said rings.

4. A collapsible inflatable vessel provided with a through cockpit andbracing members for the cockpit consisting of rigid rings attached tothe vessel near the upper and lower ends of the wall of the cockpit andrigid upright members hinged to one of said rings connecting said rings.

5. A collapsible inflatable vessel provided with a through cockpit andbracing members for the cockpit consisting of rigid rings attached tothe vessel near the upper and lowerends of the wall of the cockpit andrigid upright members hinged to one of sa-lild rings and detachablyconnected. with the ot er.

6. A collapsible inflatable vessel provided with a through cockpit, arigid frame within the cockpit, said frame movable ring at the top andbottom of the coclqiit and connecting uprights and a saddle sustained bysaid frame.

7. A collapsible inflatable vessel provided with a through cockpit, aremovable frame within the cockpit and a saddle sustained by said frame.

8. A collapsible inflatable vessel provided with a through cockpit, aremovable collapsible frame within the cockpit and a saddle sustained bysaid frame.

FRED J. MARRIOTT.

including a re-

